Receptacles and opening means therefor



Jan. 28, 1958 L. FRIED ,8

RECEPTACLES AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed May 12, ;L955

32 37 35 I FIG.2.

h 26 v FIG.3.35 27 25 a 28 wu a l I Loui Fried I MM mm ATTORNEYs United States Patent O RECEPTACLES AND OPENING MEANS HEREFOR Louis Fried, Philadelphia, Pa. Application May 12, 1955, Serial No. 507,875 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-48) This invention relates to the class of receptacles and is directed particularly to improvements in opening devices for the same.

The present invention pertains to receptacles and opening means of the character described particularly in my pending application, Serial No. 407,934, filed February 3, 1954.

Receptacles of sheet metal which are sealed to preserve the contents, such as cans for foods and beverages and sealed receptacles formed of materials other than metal, usually require the use of some type of cutting device for either removing a Wall of the receptacle or for forming an outlet therein so that the contents may be readily removed.

In my prior application above referred to and in other applications filed by me, there are disclosed containers wherein a wall is provided with a pour opening which is covered or closed on the inner side of the wall by a portion of a removable opener device. Overlying the inner surface of this wall is a sheet of protective material which extends to and is secured around the periphery of the wall in the seam joining the wall with the adjacent wall of the receptacle. This sheet covers the opening covering portion of the opener device and retains such device in position. The sheet of protective material also prevents the escape of any of the contents of the receptacle, particularly in those receptacles where the contents is under pressure, as in cans of beer or non-alcoholic carbonated beverages. Where the receptacle contents is under pressure such pressure, pressing the lining sheet against the opener device, effectively holds the opener against removal until the sheet of material or lining sheet is punctured and the pressure released. The portion of the opener device lying between the receptacle Wall and the lining sheet is formed so that after removal it may be employed to cut away the lining sheet around the edge of the pour opening so that the container contents may be removed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and more efficient manner of applying or securing a covering or a lining sheet against the inner side of a receptacle Wall over a pour opening and opener device lying against the inner side of the wall and covering such opening, whereby the opener device is effectively held in place and the possibility of any of the receptacle contents escaping is avoided particularly Where the possibility of breaking or damaging the lining sheet in applying and securing the receptacle wall in place or to another part or wall in the assembling or closing of the receptacle, is prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container structure having a wall provided with a discharge opening, with a cover lining sheet overlying the opening upon the inside of the container and a removable opener device having a portion overlying the opening on the inner side of the wall, wherein the lining covers less than the entire inner surface of the Wall and is bonded thereto to effectively prevent the material entering between it and the wall.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide, in a container, 21 construction as set forth in the preceding paragraph, wherein a sheet of frangible material such as plastic, aluminum foil or the like, overlies the opener device and a relatively small portion of the inner wall surface around the device and the pour opening and is secured or bonded around its periphery to the inner wall surface.

More particularly the invention contemplates the provision, in a receptacle, such as a metal can or the like, of a wall, such as an end wall of a can, having a pour opening therein, of a removable opener device of the form or character disclosed in my prior application above referred to and attached to the Wall with a portion of the opener device in covering position over the opening. Covering the pour opening on the inner side of the receptacle wall and the said portion of the opener is a sheet of material, such as plastic, aluminum foil or the like of an area materially less than the area of the inner surface of such wall and the edges or periphery of the sheet are sealed by suitable cement to the wall with such edges, or periphery, spaced from the other adjacent walls of the receptacle. Where the covering sheet has been disposed against the inner side of an end wall of a can, for example, with its peripheral portion interfolded in the seam between such end wall and the can side wall, rupture of the sealing sheet may occur when the seam is formed, whereas in the present invention this cannot occur.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification with the understanding, however, that slight changes and modifications may be made in the structure without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a receptacle, such as a metal can, showing in association with the body of the can, an end wall, an opener adapted to be removably attached thereto and a frangible protective disc to overlie the center portion of the inner surface of the end Wall.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner side of the end wall of the receptacle showing the attachment of the periphery of the covering sheet to the surface inwardly of the sealing flange thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the inner side of the end wall of the receptacle showing a modified form of the opener covering and protective sheet of frangible material.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail section illustrating a portion of a receptacle side wall and an end well thereof constructed in accordance with the showing of Fig. 2,, such as a receptacle containing a beverage under pressure and illustrating the manner in which the covering or lining sheet is pressed by the internal pressure firmly against the wall surface and against the portion of the opener lying thereagainst.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the reference character 10 generally designates a receptacle here illustrated as being formed as a can such as may be used for merchandising foods or beverages.

The numeral 12 designates the side wall of the receptacle while the numeral 14 designates one end wall fixed to the side wall in the conventional manner.

The side wall 12 at the open end is shown as having an out turned flange 16 to which is joined in the usual or substantially on the conventional manner the flange of the closure wall which is generally designated 18 and in association with which the present invention is illustrated.

The wall 18 of the receptacle :comprises a sheet of the selected material of which the receptacle is formed .such as tin or other material which is pressed to have the central disc portion 20 which is bordered by the HP- standing flange 21 which, as prepared for application to the receptacle, terminates in the laterally extending encincling flange 22 having the down turned lip 23. This provides the proper channel 24 for the reception of the flange 1'6 and when the wall is applied to the receptacle, the flange 16 and the outwardly extending flange 22 are folded down to form the conventional sealing bead.

Inwardly of the flange portion 21 the central or disc part 20 of the lid is formed with the outpressed shallow reinforcing rib 25 of conventional form.

The numeral 26 designates the protective lacquer which is used in the majority of cases for covering the inner surfaces of metal receptacles. It is to be understood, however, that in carrying out the present invention, this protective lacquer may be eliminated from the structure if desired.

The disc portion 20 within the area defined by the rib 25 is provided with the pour opening 27 which is preferably of somewhat elongate rectangular form and terminates at one end adjacent to the rib 25. At the opposite or inner end of the opening 27, the material of the disc 20 is provided with a slot 28 and between this slot and the opening 27, such material is pressed outwardly to form the dividing bar 29 between the openings. In this operation the metal at the ends of the bar 29 is stretched slightly as indicated at 30 and the bar is inclined with respect to the plane of the disc portion 20 so that the edge forming one side of the opening or slot 28 is elevated above the opposite edge which forms one side of the pour opening 27.

The construction thus far described is embodied in my prior application hereinbefore referred to and such prior application also discloses a cutter or opener device similar to the opener device herein disclosed and generally designated 31. This opener device comprises a strip of metal of suitable character designated 32 which is folded intermediate its ends as indicated at 33 whereby to provide the inner and outer portions 34 and 35 respectively.

The length of the slot 28 in the disc 20 is greater than the width of the pour opening 27 and the inner portion 34 of the opener device is of a width to fit snugly in the slot 28 so that when the opener device is applied to the wall structure to lie against the inner face thereof it will cover the opening 27 since its width is greater than the width of the opening and its length is also greater than the length of the opening 27.

The free end of the inner portion 34 is shaped to provide a penetrating and cutting point as indicated at 34a and this inner portion is also provided with an aperture 36.

The outer portion 35 of the opener device has struck therefrom the point or spur 37, the tip of which lies approximately in line with the opening 36 when the parts are assembled. This outer portion 35 is disposed over the pour opening 27 upon the outer side of the disc 20 when the opener device is placed in position thereon a is illustrated in Figs. 3, and 6 and initially the outer portion 35 is bent transversely slightly so as to be bowed away from the portion 34, whereby when the opener device is applied the end of the portion 35 will lie firmly against the outer surface of the disc 20. This outer portion is also of greater length than the pour opening 27 and of greater width so as to completely cover the pour opening on the outer side of the wall.

Adjacent to the fold line or edge 33 of the opener device the outer portion 35 is pressed firmly against the inner portion 34 as indicated at 38. This formation further assists in causing the outer portion 35 to bear firmly 4 against the outer side of the disc 20 when the opener is put into place.

It will also be seen upon reference to the sectional views forming Figs. 3, 5, and 6 that when the opener device is applied, the opening 36 in the inner portion lies within the area defined by the edge of the pour opening 27 so that in the use of the opener, in the manner hereinafter set forth, the point of the spur 37 can beextended through the pour opening Y2?7 and into the aperture 36 to puncture the underlying hereinafter described cover sheet.

In accordance with the present invention the pour opening 27 and the slot 28 and also the inner portion 34 of the opener device are in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 covered by a disc or covering sheet 40. This covering sheet may be formed of a number of different suitable materials, such as tin, aluminum, a synthetic resin plastic such, for example, as that .known as Saran which is a type of thermoplastic resin produced by polymerization of vinylidene chloride alone or with other monomers. While other plastics may be further satisfactory this particular plastic, when a plastic is selected, is preferred.

The cover sheet 40 is of a size to cover the central area of the disc portion 20 of the wall, it being preferred that the diameter of the covering or shield disc 20 be such that when it is placed in position against the underside of the wall its edge or periphery will lie inwardly of the inner side of the rib 25 as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. In this position it is seen that the protective sheet fully covers the openings and (the inner portion of the cutter and a suitable sealing or adhesive is applied as indicated at 41 to the disc on the inner and outer surfaces along a portion bordering the edge of the cover sheet and extended from the edge of the sheet 40 onto the adjacent surface of the wall disc 20 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. This adhesive may be of any suitable character, such as a quick drying lacquer or thermosetting plastic similar to the plastic cover sheet 40 which it secures to the surface of the wall.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a slight modification of the covering sheet is illustrated. This covering sheet is generally designated 42 and as shown in Fig. 4 it is in the form of a rectangular patch having a length and width sufficient to fully cover the pour opening and the slot 28. This sheet 42 may be formed of aluminum or a plastic such as that previously referred to and is secured to the under surface of the wall disc portipn 20 in any suitable manner as by the use of the adhesive hereinbefore referred to, which adhesive material is designated 43.

In the construction of a metallic receptacle, such as a can here illustrated, the form of the peripheral end wall before application to the can body is as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 Prior to the application of the wall .to the end of the can body, a sealing compound is placed upon the inner face of the flange 22 as indicated at 44. When the flange 22 with the applied sealing compound is placed in position on the flange 16 of the wall, the two flanges are then folded and pressed together in the well known manner to form the bead 45 and the sealing compound forms an air tight bond between the adjacent parts. It will be apparent that in this process any soft or frangible material interposed between the flanges when they are folded down may become ruptured. In the present invention, the desired protection is had for the inner portion of the cutter or opener device and the contents of the receptacle is prevented from escaping by the applied frangible sheet 40 or 42 but the possibility of such frangible sheet becoming ruptured or damaged in the process of applying the wall to the can body is eliminated by reason of the fact that it is not engaged between any of the parts which are bent or folded.

In the foregoing description while the illustrated structure has been described as a metallic receptacle such as a can or the like, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to use in association with a receptacle of the form illustrated or a receptacle constructed of metal as it will be readily apparent that it may be applied to receptacles of other shapes and formed of other materials for packaging commodities of various types, whether the same be foods or other liquid or dry materials used in the arts or trades.

Where the invention is embodied in the wall of a container for materials which may be of a dry or liquid nature but are not under any internal pressure, the protective sheet 40 or 42 will prevent the material from escaping by passing between the sheet to the opening or openings in the wall. In order that the opener device may be held so that it will not become accidentally dislodged the proportions of the slot with respect to the thickness and width of the inner portion 34 may be such that a tight frictional engagement will be established to hold the opener in position. When the receptacle is to be opened, the outer portion 35 may be bent upwardly so as to form a grasping piece by which to pull the inner portion 34 from the slot 28 thus uncovering the protective sheet through the pour opening and the cutting edge or point 34a is then employed for cutting away the soft aluminum sheet or plastic sheet, if the latter is used, so that the contents of the receptacle may be discharged through the opening 27.

Where the invention is applied to the wall of a receptacle containing material under pressure, such as carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, beer or the like, the internal pressure causes a slight outward bulging of the end walls of the can as indicated at B in Fig. 6 and the covering sheet 40 or 42, the sheet 40 being illustrated in Fig. 6, will be pressed firmly against the inner portion 34 of the opener. This will not only further act to maintain the opener in position but the inner portion of the opener will prevent the protective or lining sheet from being ruptured by the pressure forcing it into the pour opening. It has been found that where the present invention is applied to receptacles containing liquids under high pressure, the pressure holds the liner with such force against the opener inner portion 34 as to prevent the removal of the opener until the pressure is relieved. Accordingly, in order to relieve the pressure, the pointed spur 37 is provided and it is used by bending up the outer portion 35 until the point of the spur is directed toward the aperture 36, whereupon the outer portion is forced down to force the point of the spur through the aperture and through the liner sheet and under, puncturing the sheet and thus permitting the gases to escape from the receptacle. Upon this release of the pressure, the inner portion 34 becomes sufficiently loose to permit it to be withdrawn from the slot 28 and the cutting point 34a may then be used to cut the covering sheet away from the opening in the manner above stated.

As previously pointed out, with the present invention all danger of the protective sheet being ruptured in the application of the wall to the body of the receptacle is avoided by reason of the fact that the protective sheet is not carried over the entire inner face of the wall and into the sealing flange 22 Where it would be subjected to strains incident to the folding of the flanges of the body wall and cover and seal the cover on the can receptacle.

I claim:

1. A receptacle having a wall thereof provided with a pour opening, the wall having a second opening in the form of a narrow slot adjacent to the first opening, an opener device having a portion inserted through said slot and covering the pour opening on the inner side of the wall, and a protective sheet covering said portion of the opener device and a portion only of the surface of said inner side of the wall around said openings and bonded to said surface.

2. A receptacle having a wall thereof provided with a pour opening, the wall having a second opening adjacent to the first, an opener device embodying a portion having a cutting edge, said opener portion extending through said second opening and lying against the surface of the inner side of said wall over and closing the pour opening, a protective sheet of material of an area materially less than the area of said wall surface and greater than the wall surface area covered by the opener inner portion covering said opener inner portion and said openings, and means securing the sheet of material to said surface around said openings.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said sheet of material is in the form of a disc and said securing means comprises an adhesive around the peripheral portion of the disc and extending therefrom onto the surface adjacent thereto.

4. A wall construction for a container of the type wherein the edge of the wall is joined to an adjoining edge of the container body by a folded seam, said wall construction comprising in its non-joined form a sheet of the selected container material bordered by an approximately right-angular flange merging with an outwardly projecting seaming flange, the wall inwardly from said right-angular flange having a material discharge opening and a second opening, an opener device embodying a portion having a cutting edge, said portion extending through said second opening and lying in covering position over the first opening upon the inner side of the wall, a protective sheet lying against the inner surface of the wall over and covering said portion of the opener and the two wall openings, said protective sheet lying entirely within the confines of the first named flange, and means bonding the protective sheet entirely around its peripheral portion to said wall surface, said opener device including a portion joined to the first portion and located upon the outer side of the wall.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein said protective sheet comprises a disc and has said bonding means spread as an edge covering band from a line lying inwardly from the edge of the disc outwardly over an adjacent portion of the wall surface.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein said protective sheet is of polygonal contour and has said bonding means spread as a band over the edges and to both sides over a portion of the sheet and a portion of the wall surface.

7. A receptacle having a wall thereof provided with a pour opening, the wall having a second opening in the form of a narrow slot adjacent to the first opening, an opener device having a portion inserted inwardly through said slot and extending across the pour opening, and a protective sheet covering said portion of the opener device and covering only a portion of the surface of said inner side of the wall around said openings and bonded to said surface and the area of the protective sheet being materially less than the area of the said wall surface.

8. A receptacle having a wall thereof provided with an elongate pour opening, the wall having a second open ing in the form of a narrow slot closely adjacent to and extending transversely of the pour opening at one end of the latter, the opener device having a portion inserted inwardly through said slot and over the length of the pour opening, and a protective sheet covering said portion of the opener device and covering only a portion of the surface of said inner side of the wall around said openings and bonded around the openings to said surface and the area of the protective sheet being materially less than the area of said wall surface.

Berni June 1, 1937 Kinsman Aug. 26, 1941 

